BJP top brass to discuss LS election

New Delhi, May 20, 2013, DHNS: 1:54 IST

A day after announcing a new team to look after states, the BJP’s parliamentary board is meeting to decide its vision document, ascertain the preparedness for the national executive committee meeting slated for early next month and assess United Progressive Alliance’s (UPA) completion of fourth year in power.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who is selective about attending party meetings, is expected to join the parliamentary board which is gearing to take up the electoral issues dominating discussions at the party ahead of two-day national executive meeting in Goa beginning June 7. In the last meeting, Modi, touted as the electoral face of the BJP for the next Lok Sabha elections, did not attend the last board meeting on the grounds that he had to visit a dentist.

Party sources said the parliamentary board consisting of president Rajnath Singh, LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, MM Joshi, Venkayah Naidu, Nitin Gadkari, Narendra Modi and others will take a critical view of UPA’s four years in power. The party is organising “jail bharo” agitations across the country from May 27 to June 2 against the UPA's corruption and rising inflation.

It is also preparing a vision document, first mooted by former party chief Nitin Gadkari on ways to meet challenges in the future. The document might be taken up for discussion.The top leaders will also discuss the responsibilities new states in-charge will have to be entrusted, especially in important states like Uttar Pradesh where the party must do well to emerge as an alternative to Congress at the Centre in the next Lok Sabha elections.

BJP president Rajnath Singh has handed over the charge of UP to Modi’s close confidant Amit Shah, an accused in a fake encounter case in Gujarat. Singh, however, defended his move, arguing that he did not commit any “crime” by handing the responsibility to Shah.

"He (Shah) is a general secretary of the party and has been a minister in a highly successful state. I think making him in charge (of UP) is not a crime," Singh told reporters when asked about his reaction to the elevation of the former Gujarat minister.